Droughts in the Anthropocene

Morocco – Harvesting fog in the mountains

In south-west Morocco, the Aït Baamrane region stretches along the Anti-Atlas Mountains with the Atlantic Ocean to the west and the Sahara Desert to the east. The region is one of the poorest in Morocco, with low levels of literacy and a lack of access to adequate education and health services. The Berber people inhabiting the foothills of these mountains predominantly rely on pastoralism and agriculture, activities that are both highly dependent on water. Access to reliable water sources has long been a challenge that limits people’s livelihood opportunities. Intermittent drought and low levels of rainfall coupled with evapotranspiration due to hot, dry winds from the Sahara Desert are common across North Africa, but in the Aït Baamrane region, increased cultivation practices in low-rainfall areas combined with more erratic rainfall patterns have led to drought having increased impacts on the local population [1]. Communities in the region are highly dependent on wells for access to water as well as cisterns for rainwater collection. Traditionally, people hand-dug wells to collect water for domestic use, but now they commonly use drilling machines to reach deeper into the aquifers, which has led to overextraction of groundwater and pollution of the aquifers [2]. Persistent drought and the absence of proper water infrastructure have made the communities living in these areas highly vulnerable. Not only are wells scarce, but the quality of the water is very low. Water samples have shown high concentrations of sulphates and nitrates [1]. The lack of clean water has contributed to a weakening of the social structures of many Berber communities. Due to the challenging living conditions, many households have migrated to cities. Among families who have stayed, many of the working-age members, mainly

men, have out-migrated, leaving women, children and the elderly behind. Women and girls therefore bear the burden of upholding the traditional way of life and spend up to four hours a day fetching water from wells [3]. However, a solution to address the complex challenges of water scarcity, sustainable development and marginalization in the region can be found in the Anti-Atlas Mountains. Clouds accumulating over the Atlantic Ocean are transported to the mountains and transformed into fog, a resource that is abundant for six months a year. Dar Si Hmad, a local non- governmental organization (NGO), has worked with several partners to install one of the biggest fog water collection systems in the world in Mount Boutmezguida, helping to reduce the water scarcity problem for a number of local communities [2]. The project’s design and implementation were carried out in collaboration with community members, researchers and practitioners, resulting in an innovative water system with clear benefits for the rural population. The harvesting system comprises several large, metal mesh nets connected to gutters and cisterns, which are placed up in the mountains facing the ocean. The wind pushes the fog through the nets, which catch the condensation, with the water droplets then collected in the gutters below, filling the cisterns. In optimal fog conditions, one net can collect up to 22 litres of water per day, with the entire Mount Boutmezguida installation able to provide around 6,300 litres of water per day [2]. Solar-powered pumps distribute the water through underground pipes to nearby villages, benefiting around 500 people. Fog was traditionally viewed as something negative by the local communities, making the

path to the pastures slippery and dangerous and causing equipment to rust. Today it is a sustainable and reliable source of water. Through community training and trust-building, women are now responsible for managing these water systems. The installation of the fog water collection system has improved access to clean water and sanitation in rural Berber communities, alleviating water anxiety for hundreds of people and providing a source of drinking water that surpasses national health standards [2]. This contributes to community development, sustainable livelihoods and the health of the local people. Dar Si Hmad has also started water schools that teach children about sustainable water practices and how the availability or absence of water shapes the environment around them [4]. The main goal of these water schools is to empower children and their communities to improve their living conditions. Dar Si Hmad is now introducing a greywater recycling project for agriculture.

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